Calais hospital strike averted as contract agreement reached

A threatened two-day strike next week by nearly 50 nurses and staff at Calais Regional Hospital (CRH) has been called off, after the hospital administration and the Maine State Nurses Association (MSNA) bargaining unit of RNs and medical technologists reached a tentative two-year contract agreement on November 10. Members of the union have been without a contract for over two years and on November 6 had issued a notice to the hospital that they would strike from November 18 to 20.
During the negotiations on November 10, the two sides reached consensus on the final two points of health insurance and paid time off, with both sides giving concessions. The deal also includes some pay increases and continued protections for core benefits.
"I am pleased the negotiations have ended and look forward to continuing as a unified team to care for our patients and community through the pandemic and beyond," says CRH CEO Rod Boula. "I appreciate the efforts of all in finding a solution we can all support."
Anne Sluzenski, RN and a member of the union's bargaining team, says, "This was a hard fight over more than two years. We know our hospital is struggling, but we had to make sure that we protected conditions for the people who keep it running every day." She continues, "We're glad that management finally worked with us to reach an agreement that protected our benefits and helped the hospital retain and recruit employees."
Shirley Richardson, RN, also a nurse at CRH, says, "Our membership has been through a lot the past couple of years. They have fought hard and have really stuck together. Our decision to vote for a strike was a difficult one to make. But in the end, we are glad the hospital finally met us halfway, and now we can move forward with a new agreement and new security for our membership."
In a sign of goodwill the union agreed to withdraw the strike notice. The ratification vote on the tentative agreement was set for Monday, November 16, and CRH staff on the MSNA bargaining committee are recommending final approval of the contract.
Differences outlined
Before the agreement was reached, the union members had called for the strike as they protested both the lack of a contract and the hospital's leadership. They also were concerned about the administration's response to the coronavirus, with six staff having become infected during a recent outbreak at the hospital that has been contained. If the nurses had decided to strike, the hospital would have remained open and continued to provide essential services, although its COVID-19 testing site might have been suspended.
According to the MSNA members, their main issue is the leadership of hospital CEO Rod Boula and their belief that his contract should be terminated. The employees recently delivered a petition of no confidence that demanded his termination by the CRH board of directors. In addition, the members of the union say they are concerned about their health and safety, along with that of their patients, following a COVID-19 outbreak in the hospital during the past couple of weeks. "The hospital did not strictly enforce universal masking until we raised concerns about the outbreak," says Megan LaPlant, a CRH medical laboratory scientist. "Despite our requests to make COVID screening more accessible to employees, management never fully informed staff of how they could get tested themselves. Some employees were even reprimanded by management for getting screened after they had been exposed to someone with the virus. While we are doing everything we can to keep our patients safe, it is the job of management to keep us and our co-workers safe. They have not done a good job of that."
In a statement, the administration says it will "continue to speak up for our patients and work for the best interests of our staff as a whole, not just the 17% who are represented by the union. We will not be deterred just because we do not agree wholeheartedly with the union position or demands."
The administration says it will continue to work with the union, stating, "Only together can we strengthen the hospital's financial position so we can continue to provide great care to this community. Everyone at Calais Regional Hospital is committed to providing high quality, safe healthcare, from our medical professionals to our administrative staff to our volunteers."